In a meeting on Thursday, September 21, 2006 with the SPRTC Arkansas State Parks, Recreation & Tourism Committee it was voted unanimously to end the two year pilot program which allowed recreational metal detecting at nine of the parks under the control of the Arkansas State Parks System.

In return, it was also decided by the SPRTC that the parks system and the recreational metal community could in fact co-exist in a manner consistent with other activities controlled by the park officials. Therefore, the SPRTC voted to make it policy to allow metal detecting in nine of the state parks that were listed in the pilot program. The new policy is consistent with the rules and guidelines that governed the pilot program. The Arkansas State Parks that now allow recreational metal detecting are Crowleys Ridge, Daisy, DeGray, Lake Catherine, Lake Charles, Lake Dardanelle, Lake Ouachita, Village Creek and Woolly Hollow. Metal detecting is to be confined to swimming areas that have beaches.

As with the pilot program, metal detecting will be permitted from the day after Labor Day until the weekend preceding Memorial Day between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Sunday through Saturday. Detectorists will continue to be required to register at the park visitor center, complete a registration form and follow the same rules and procedures as have been in place during the pilot program.

The Arkoma Coin & Relic Club of Siloam Springs began working to get metal detecting allowed in the Arkansas State Parks back In 1998 and with the assistance of Mr. Greg Butts (Director of the State Parks system), we have finally reached this milestone for our hobby.

Our hobbyists can consider this a big step in overturning a state parks directive dated July 1975 which prohibited the use of metal detectors on any portion of state park property.

In a meeting on Thursday, September 21, 2006 with the SPRTC Arkansas State Parks, Recreation & Tourism Committee it was voted unanimously to end the two year pilot program which allowed recreational metal detecting at nine of the parks under the control of the Arkansas State Parks System.

In return, it was also decided by the SPRTC that the parks system and the recreational metal community could in fact co-exist in a manner consistent with other activities controlled by the park officials. Therefore, the SPRTC voted to make it policy to allow metal detecting in nine of the state parks that were listed in the pilot program. The new policy is consistent with the rules and guidelines that governed the pilot program. The Arkansas State Parks that now allow recreational metal detecting are Crowleys Ridge, Daisy, DeGray, Lake Catherine, Lake Charles, Lake Dardanelle, Lake Ouachita, Village Creek and Woolly Hollow. Metal detecting is to be confined to swimming areas that have beaches.

As with the pilot program, metal detecting will be permitted from the day after Labor Day until the weekend preceding Memorial Day between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Sunday through Saturday. Detectorists will continue to be required to register at the park visitor center, complete a registration form and follow the same rules and procedures as have been in place during the pilot program.

The Arkoma Coin & Relic Club of Siloam Springs began working to get metal detecting allowed in the Arkansas State Parks back In 1998 and with the assistance of Mr. Greg Butts (Director of the State Parks system), we have finally reached this milestone for our hobby.

Our hobbyists can consider this a big step in overturning a state parks directive dated July 1975 which prohibited the use of metal detectors on any portion of state park property.

I would like to hunt the crater of diamonds park. Not for diamonds (alltough I did find one there ) but the coins and jewlrey left by the public as they sit on the ground looking. mabey from the miners over the years.